The Biggest Movies To Watch In 2019
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Looking back at 2018, it was hard to think that 2019 can top it in terms of new movies. Last year contained some of the most successful films of all time, including the Marvel smash hits Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther, the Pixar sequel Incredibles 2, and dinosaur thriller Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. There was some brilliant horror (Hereditary, A Quiet Place), dazzling, ambitious sci-fi (Annihilation, Sorry to Bother You), and great family movies (Paddington 2). All in all, a truly great year for cinema.
Luckily, 2019 is so far proving to be every bit as good. Superheroes remain one the biggest box office draws, with the year's three Marvel movies--Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home--all proving hugely successful. Patient DC fans, who had to wait a whole year between movies before Aquaman hit theaters, have already been rewarded with Shazam, and the intriguing Joker arrives in October.
There's no shortage of sequels of course. From Star Wars Episode IX and Terminator: Dark Fate to the first Fast & Furious spin-off, many of our favorite heroes and villains will be returning for the next instalments. There's plenty of reboots and remakes too, including the Disney classics The Lion King the return of the Addams Family.
It looks like it could be a great year for horror too. The Stephen King adaptation It was one of the most successful horror movies ever released, and September brings the much-anticipated second part of the story. There's the Guillermo Del Toro-produced Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the alligator-horror Crawl, and the another remake of the slasher classic Black Christmas. So here's the biggest movies to watch over the next 2 months...
Terminator: Dark Fate
Release date: November 1
After the commercial and critical failure of 2015's Terminator Genisys, it's a little surprising we're getting a new Terminator movie so soon after. But Terminator: Dark Fate has got a few things going for it. Most importantly, original star Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor, one of the most iconic action heroines of all time. Arnold Schwarzenegger is back once more too, as is series creator James Cameron, who produces this movie. The new additions to the series are exciting as well--director Tim Miller previously helmed Deadpool, while star Mackenzie Davis recently impressed in Blade Runner 2049. Whether or not all this adds up to a good movie or not remains to be seen, but the fact it will be direct sequel to 1991's much-loved T2: Judgement Day (ignoring the three movies in between) bodes well.
Last Christmas
Release date: November 8
Director Paul Fieg made a brief detour from the comedies he's best known for with last year's thriller A Simple Favor, but he returns to more familiar territory in November. Last Christmas is--of course--a London-set festive romantic comedy featuring the music of George Michael. It stars Emilia Clarke, in her first post-Game of Thrones role, Crazy Rich Asians' Henry Golding, and Emma Thompson, who also co-wrote the movie. Expect lots of seasonal fuzziness and solid box office.
Ford v. Ferrari
Release date: November 15
From Amadeus to Frost/Nixon, there have been some great movies made from real-life rivalries. Ford v. Ferrari is the latest addition--as the title suggests, it focuses on the rivalry between the two famous car manufacturers for dominance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race that took place in France in 1966. Christian Bale plays British driver Ken Miles and Matt Damon is Ford's pioneering car designer Carroll Shelby, who set about building an entirely new car that might challenge the might of Ferrari. It's directed by James Mangold, who is best known for Logan and The Wolverine, as well as the western 3:1- To Yuma and Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line.
The Report
Release date: November 15
Is Adam Driver the busiest actor in Hollywood? He's got no fewer than three movies set for release in the next two months--Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is obviously the highest profile, but the Netflix drama Marriage Story and the thriller The Report are also on the way. The Report is a real-life drama which focuses on the investigation into the CIA's use of torture after 9/11, and also stars Jon Hamm, Annette Bening, Michael C. Hall, and Tim Blake Nelson. It's directed by Scott Z. Burns who is best known as the screenwriter for movies such as The Bourne Ultimatum and Contagion.
Charlie's Angels
Release date: November 15
The iconic female crime-fighters were last seen in a pair of movies in the early 2000s, and are back in this latest film version. It's the second directing credit for Pitch Perfect and Power Rangers star Elizabeth Banks, with Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska as the Angels this time round. Interestingly, it has been reported this movie isn't a remake, but a "continuation" of the story that started with the original '70s TV show and continued with the 2000s movies. Those films' producer/star Drew Barrymore is also on board as a producer--so perhaps she'll make a cameo? Either way, expect a trailer soon.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Release date: November 22
The 2017 Mister Rogers documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor stands as one of the most successful docs ever made, and it will soon be joined by a live-action movie about the iconic TV host and family entertainer (with a title also taken from the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood theme song). Fred Rogers is played by Tom Hanks--and frankly, it's hard to think of anyone else in the role--and the plot centers upon a cynical journalist whose life is changed when he's assigned to profile Rogers. The script for this movie sat around unmade for many years, but renewed interest in Mr Rogers has finally meant it reaches the screen in November.
Frozen II
Release date: November 24
The long-awaited sequel to Disney's 2013 blockbuster animated movie Frozen continues the icy adventures of Elsa and Anna. All of the key cast members are returning, including Kristen Bell as Anna and Idina Menzel as Elsa, plus Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as Olaf. The recent first trailer didn't exactly reveal much about the plot, but it was certainly dramatic, with Elsa trying to cross a stormy sea using her icy magical powers, Anna looking concerned about a hall of weird icy diamonds, Kristoff riding his horse, and the three walking through a spooky forest. All will be revealed in November.
Knives Out
Release date: November 27
Rian Johnson might be best known these days for directing The Last Jedi, but prior to that Star Wars blockbuster, he was the acclaimed filmmaker behind movies such as the teen noir Brick and offbeat sci-fi Looper. Knives Out sees Johnson return to his thriller roots--it’s a ridiculous star-studded murder mystery that is "a modern take on the whodunit" genre. The amazing cast includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, and Toni Collette. The first trailer was recently released and it looks like huge star-studded fun.
The Irishman
Release date: November 27
If you needed proof that Netflix is one of the biggest players in cinema right now, just consider the fact they've spent a reported $175 million on the new Martin Scorsese movie. The legendary director of such classic as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas will make his streaming debut with the epic crime saga The Irishman, which stars Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, labor union leader and mob hitman. The cast also includes Joe Pesci and Al Pacino (remarkably, this is the first Scorsese movie Pacino has appeared in), and the film will make extensive--and expensive--use of the de-aging VFX seen most recently on Sam Jackson in Captain Marvel. No one makes crime cinema like Scorsese, and The Irishman is unquestionably one of 2019's most anticipated movies.
Motherless Brooklyn
Release date: December 6
Edward Norton is best known for his roles in movies such as Fight Club, Alita: Battle Angel, and The Incredible Hulk, but he's also directed several interesting movies. His latest is Motherless Brooklyn, an adaptation of the 1999 novel, which he also wrote and stars in. Norton plays a private investigator with Tourette's Syndrome in 1950s New York, who becomes involved in a mystery when his mentor is killed. The impressive cast includes Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, and Willem Dafoe, and it looks likely to get some Oscar buzz as we head towards awards season.
Black Christmas
Release date: December 13
Although Halloween is widely credited for kickstarting the slasher movie craze, it was predated by 1974's terrifying seasonal horror Black Christmas. The film has already been remade once in 2006, and this December, another version arrives. Like last year's Halloween reboot, the new Black Christmas is produced by Blumhouse Films, who know exactly how to retool a horror classic for a modern audience. It'll be directed by Sophia Takal, who previously helmed the acclaimed indie horror Always Shine, and stars Imogen Poots (Green Room) and Cary Elwes (Saw).
Richard Jewell
Release date: December 13
Clint Eastwood might be 89, but he keeps the movies coming, and following last year's The Mule, he's back with another real-life story. Richard Jewell was a security guard who found a pipe-bomb at a stadium during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and whose actions helped save dozens of lives. Despite being initially hailed as a hero, Jewell was then investigated by the FBI, and despite being innocent and ultimately exonerated, had his life changed forever by the media attention. Rising star Paul Walter Hauser plays Jewell, and there are supporting roles for Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, and Jon Hamm.
6 Underground
Netflix, December 13
Michael Bay is best known these days for the Transformers movies, but he also has a long list of hugely successful, non-robotic action movies on his filmography, including The Rock, Armageddon, and the Bad Boys movies. 6 Underground returns him to his roots, and stars Ryan Reynolds as part of a wealthy vigilante gang who fake their own deaths in order to go under-the-radar and take down a criminal group. Going on the recent trailer, it looks ridiculous in all the right ways, with exotic locations, incredible stunts, and the sort of wise-cracking dialogue you'd expect from Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
Uncut Gems
Release date: December 13
Adam Sandler is world-famous for his comedy movies, but occasionally, he'll take a break from the laughs to tackle something more serious. His latest dramatic role is in Uncut Gems. It's directed by acclaimed indie film duo Josh and Bennie Safdie, and stars Sandler as a New York-based jewelry store owner and gambler who despite already being hugely in debt, takes on the riskiest gamble of his life. The movie has scored rave reviews from festivals, and anyone who saw the Safdie's last film, the Robert Pattinson-starring Good Time, will know these guys know how to deliver an edgy, relentlessly paced, and inventive crime movie.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Release Date: December 13
Director Jake Kasdan returns for sequel to 2017's smash hit Jumanji reboot, with Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Nick Jonas also back. Apart from the fact that Johnson has said Hart's character will die right away (which we suspect was a joke), we don't know anything about the plot of this latest adventure. But considering how much fun Welcome to the Jungle was, the next installment has us really excited.
Bombshell
Release date: December 20
Bombshell is the second of two on-screen depictions of disgraced former Fox News boss Roger Ailes to arrive in 2019. The Showtime series The Loudest Voice ran in the summer, with Russell Crowe in the role, and December John Lithgow plays him in the movie Bombshell. The difference is that while the show focused on Ailes, Bombshell tells the story of his downfall from the point of two Fox News employees who accused him of sexual harassment--Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, played by Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman. Margot Robbie and Kate McKinnon also star, and it's directed by Meet the Fockers' Jay Roach.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
Release Date: December 20
Unsurprisingly very little is known about the next Star Wars movie, which is set to conclude the current Saga trilogy. We do know some of the new cast members (Keri Russell, Matt Smith), we've seen a few on-set shots, and reportedly Billy Dee Williams will reprise his iconic role as Lando. But beyond that, director JJ Abrams is keeping his usual tight-lid on the production. The Last Jedi's title was revealed in January 2017, so it's possible that we might learn the title of Episode IX soon. Or maybe not. Either way, it sounds like Abrams has big plans for this one, and it is--obviously--an absolute must-see.
Cats
Release date: December 20
Avengers: Endgame might be the most watched trailer of the year (and of all time), but when it comes to provoking a reaction, the recent first promo of Cats most take first prize. Tom Hooper's big screen adaptation of classic Lloyd-Webber musical features an all-star cast as singing, dancing cats. While the original show featured the actors in cat costumes, the movie has opted for CG to transforms the likes of James Corden, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, and Rebel Wilson into feline performers, with truly terrifying results. That all said, Hooper's last musical adaptation was Les Miserables and that made more than $440 million at the box office, so it's very possible Cats could do much the same.